Each webinar features DNR team members and the partners who are helping bring these projects to life. Two webinars are coming up in December.

“Creating a Sense of Place”
Monday, Dec. 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Space Haus and the DNR are creating interpretive experiences at Muskegon, Orchard Beach, Dodge #4 and Sterling state parks this year. Hear about curating the stories that make each place special and the creative process for telling the stories in a way that is compelling for many generations. You’ll also explore examples of how this has been done successfully around the country.

In the early 1900s, overhunting and habitat loss nearly wiped out the state’s population, but the DNR and partners including the National Wild Turkey Federation worked together to reintroduce wild turkeys to the state and restore habitat they need to flourish.

Michigan’s oak-savannah habitats are of particular importance. These lightly forested grasslands with abundant oak trees provide turkeys with acorns to eat and habitat to build their nests at the base of trees, under shrub or in the tall grass. Oak-savannah habitats also support the nesting needs of migratory birds, such as the blue-winged warbler and eastern towhee. In addition to forests, Michigan’s wild turkey population can be found in fields, wetlands and urban and suburban parks.

The resurgence of wild turkeys is a conservation success story and a reminder of the impact that partnerships can have in protecting wildlife. Ongoing support and awareness of habitat conservation are essential to maintaining this progress. Learn more about Michigan’s wild turkey conservation efforts.

While it might seem counterintuitive, regulated hunting of wild turkeys also supports their conservation and management. Hunting license fees and excise taxes on hunting equipment support the DNR’s Wildlife Division. A portion of turkey hunting license fees also goes into the DNR’s “turkey fund,” which is used for habitat management on public lands to conserve populations and critical habitat. Learn more at the DNR turkey webpage. Turkey hunting season is closed for 2024 and will open in the spring and fall of 2025.

MI Birds is a public outreach and engagement program presented by Audubon Great Lakes and the DNR that works to build and bring together wildlife enthusiasts across the state to engage with and conserve Michigan’s birds and public lands.

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.

Michigan is home to 6,000-plus miles of DNR-designated snowmobile trails, public roads and public lands (only where riding is authorized).

Did you know that nearly 1,900 private landowners allow use of their land to create the trails network? Their generosity allows the DNR to offer trails that connect communities and bring snowmobilers to special places of interest that otherwise wouldn’t be available to them.

“We’re incredibly grateful to these property owners and their partnerships with their local snowmobile clubs,” said Jessical Roehrs, statewide motorized trails analyst for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “It’s important for all of us to give thanks to these landowners and to remember to be respectful of the land, wherever we ride.”

• Always Ride Right: Ride sober, ride at safe speeds and ride on the right side of the trail. Get more tips at Michigan.gov/RideRight.
• Your $52 snowmobile trail permit is valid for one year, which begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30 of the following year. Buy permits online through eLicense (your sticker will be mailed within seven to 10 days) or the Michigan Snowmobile ORV Association (which processes permit orders daily Monday through Friday) and in person at DNR license agents and dealers.
• Residents must also register snowmobiles with the Michigan Secretary of State (unless sleds are used solely on private property). Registration is good for three years, and those registration dollars support the purchase of easements, law enforcement on trails and safety education.
• The snowmobile program is 100% funded by trail permit and registration dollars that are directly reinvested into the program to benefit snowmobilers. The funds pay for grooming, signage, maintenance, bridge and culvert construction, purchase of new equipment, liability insurance, maintenance of trailhead amenities (signage, bathrooms, plowing of parking lots) and other snowmobile-related expenditures.
• Remember that some snowmobile trails may not be open Dec. 1 due to trail conditions or other factors such as in-progress maintenance projects. Know before you go by checking the DNR’s closures webpage.

Learn more at Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling. Questions? Contact Jessica Roehrs at 517-331-3790.

Oak trees in areas of the Lower Peninsula, as well as in Dickinson, Iron, Marquette and Menominee counties in the Upper Peninsula, are dying from oak wilt. One of the best ways to help prevent oak wilt from infecting trees on your property is to avoid wounding them during the high-risk infection period, April 15 to July 15. In fact, the safest time to prune oak trees is the winter season. In case you missed it, this recent DNR news release explains more about oak wilt, covers the benefits of off-season pruning and gives other useful information.

The goal is to collect new, packaged toys, as many as it takes to “stuff” the back of a conservation officer patrol truck. All collected toys will be donated locally to ensure more children have gifts to open Christmas Day.

“Michigan conservation officers are connected to our communities – not just through law enforcement but also by actively working to build community relationships, too,” said Lt. Todd Szyska, DNR Law Enforcement supervisor in Detroit. “Christmas should be a time for peace, love, hope and joy. We want to share that spirit of the season by helping those in need and making the holiday a little brighter.”

Stuff a Truck started in Detroit on Belle Isle in 2019, with all toys donated to the Detroit Police Department’s Sergeant Santa program. Stuff a Truck has expanded to include events this year in Clare, Gaylord, Grandville, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Traverse City, donating to local Toys for Tots and Salvation Army organizations.

“Our concept initially was simply to see if we could stuff the bed of a conservation officer patrol truck with donated toys,” Szyska said. “Well, that first year we filled not only one, but two trucks. It was always the hope that the Stuff a Truck concept would go beyond Detroit, and we are proud that the program has expanded to support more communities throughout the state.”

This year, Stuff a Truck events will accept new, packaged toys (free of wrapping and decorations) at several locations, including:

Saturday, Nov. 30

• Detroit: DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater St., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the OAC to take complimentary pictures with anyone who donates a toy. Donations go to the DPD Sergeant Santa program. OAC admission rates still apply. A drop-off bin will be available during business hours until Dec. 6.

Saturday, Dec. 7

• Traverse City: Blain’s Farm and Fleet, 210 U.S. 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Donations go to Toys for Tots.
• Kalamazoo: Walmart, 6065 Gull Road, noon-3 p.m. Donations go to the Kalamazoo Salvation Army.
• Muskegon: Walmart, 1879 E. Sherman Blvd., noon-3 p.m. Donations go to the Muskegon Salvation Army.
• Grandville: Cabela’s, 3000 44th St. SW, noon-3 p.m. Donations go to the Grand Rapids Salvation Army.

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8

• Jay’s Sporting Goods, 8800 S. Clare Ave., Clare and 1151 S. Otsego Ave., Gaylord Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Donations will go to the Central Michigan and Gaylord Toys for Tots.

Drop-off donation bins are also available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. until Friday, Dec. 6, at the following locations:

• Belle Isle Park Office, 99 Pleasure Drive, Detroit (donations go to the DPD Sergeant Santa program).
• Maybury State Park, 49601 Eight Mile, Northville (donations go to the DPD Sergeant Santa program).
• DNR Plainwell Customer Service Center, 621 N. 10th St. (donations go to the Grand Rapids Salvation Army).

Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect residents through general law enforcement and conducting lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.

The DNR’s next crop of CO recruits is getting ready to start Conservation Officer Training Academy #13, which begins Sunday, Jan. 5, in Lansing. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

Later in the show, listeners will learn more about what’s happening with waterfowl season and, specifically, one of the most graceful waterfowl species you’ll see on the wetlands: northern pintail ducks. These elegant birds with long, slender necks and distinct, pointed tails seek out shallow areas with grassy cover such as marshes, potholes, prairies, lakes and ponds.

Want to hear more? Visit the “Wildtalk” webpage for the latest episode, as well as show notes and links to past episodes. Questions about the podcast? Email [email protected].

Vagrants that are seen in unusual places often return to their home range, and many folks suspect this particular bird was from Florida and visited Michigan as a result of Hurricane Helene. Just a few weeks later, a northern hawk owl also was spotted at Whitefish Point. Northern owls such as the northern hawk owl can show up in the Great Lakes region each winter, leaving their colder habitats like the boreal forests of Canada and the Arctic tundra behind – but this visitor arrived a season early!

Both owls drew crowds of interested birders and photographers, and each season hundreds of species draw us outdoors as they flit in the treetops, hop through shrubs or run along shorelines. Whether in the backyard or deep forest, birding best practices can help protect our Great Lakes birds and visitors. Here are a few to start:

• Keep a respectful distance. Getting too close to birds, and their nests, can cause them to flush (or fly away), interfering with their natural behavior and potentially preventing them from eating or caring for their young. If your approach causes a bird to flush, you’ve gotten too close.
• Think carefully before sharing the location of a rare bird. While rare bird sightings are thrilling, they can draw a crowd, which can cause a disturbance.
• Leave the drones to the pros. Although drones can be useful to researchers and biologists documenting bird populations (such as at island nesting colonies), drones in general can be very disruptive to birds, especially osprey. They are also illegal in national parks and some state parks.

Get more top tips and explore helpful resources to guide your next birding trip.

Questions? Contact Erin Rowan Ford at 313-820-0809.

• Detroit Auto Show 5K, 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Huntington Place in Detroit. Organized by the DNR, Detroit Auto Show and Friends of the Outdoor Adventure Center, the race route travels along the Detroit Riverfront, with the start/finish outside the doors of the Detroit Auto Show. All proceeds of the event will help update the exhibits at the DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center.
• Lumberjack Pancake Run, Sunday, March 23, at the Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit. Channel the flannel and run or walk the Flapjack 5K (starting at 10 a.m.) or the Silver Dollar Mile (beginning at 9:30 a.m.) and refuel afterward at the Lumberjack Pancake Run and Pancake Breakfast. Plus, the run is part of a four-day festival of fun and flannel that starts March 20.
• Run for the Trees: Happy Little (Virtual) 5K, which encourages participants to walk, run or roll anywhere outdoors April 19-27. Every participant gets a Bob Ross-inspired T-shirt, medal and bib as a thank-you for supporting tree plantings that now happen in nine states, including Michigan. You pick the pace and the place!

Questions? Read the DNR’s recent news release with more details or contact Michelle O’Kelly (Auto Show 5K and Run for the Trees), 517-899-5211 or Emily Grant (Lumberjack Pancake Run), 313-396-6891.

You can still explore the outdoors safely this hunting season by following a few simple guidelines:

• Wear bright, visible clothing, including “hunter orange” items such as hats and vests.
• Check open hunting season dates.
• Stay on marked trails.
• Keep pets on leashes.

The bottom line is that hunting is a very safe sport. By following these steps, you can confidently enjoy birding during any hunting season! Read the full Audubon Great Lakes story for for more tips.

Questions? Contact DNR bird biologist Karen Cleveland at 517-388-9795.

We are accepting applications for an opening on the Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup, which consists of seven volunteers each serving four-year terms and contributing as volunteers (travel expenses to and from meetings are eligible for reimbursement). The group, which works closely with the Trails Advisory Council, meets quarterly at varying locations around the state.

“Michigan’s Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup collaborates with the DNR’s trails program staff to discuss and implement the sound management of recreational snowmobiling throughout the state,” said Jessica Roehrs, state motorized trails program specialist. “Topics may include snowmobile safety and education, balanced relationships with the environment and wildlife, the collection, development and sharing of snow trail information, and collaboration with other trail user groups.”

The ideal candidate will fill a member-at-large position.

“Members tell us that being part of this workgroup is a rewarding experience,” Roehrs said. “The opportunity provides snowmobile riders or someone with a vested interest in the sport to share their insight and connect with others who want to contribute to our state’s snowmobiling opportunities.”

Interested? Apply for this position by Jan. 15. For more information, contact Jessica Roehrs at 517-331-3790.

In case you missed it, our November 2024 hunting and trapping roundup covers this month’s lineup, including some seasons that extend into December and even into the new year. Plus, you’ll learn where pheasant releases have occurred on state game/wildlife areas, and where more are scheduled throughout December. There’s also info about how to get the popular 2024 wild turkey, bear and deer management cooperator patches.

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.